Ashanti Standing Figure of a Bird, Based

One leg. Perfect composure. The Ashanti bird knows something we don’t.

Cast in bronze in Ghana in the 20th century, it belongs to the Akan tradition of lost-wax brass and bronze work, where birds turn up often in imagery and proverbs. Seven inches long, it rests on splayed feet, its flattened body incised with fine concentric circles that suggest plumage.

The neck curves down to a hooked beak with a small knob at the crest. A narrow tail trails behind. The patina runs soft green and brown, and the whole stands on a black base.

Consider the proverbs. Then consider the bird.